The present invention relates to a seal assembly for use in a rotary machine such as a gas turbine engine.
The present invention addresses a fundamental issue plaguing current designs considered for the sealing of an annulus between two concentric shafts where rotation of the sealing members is required due to a lack of stationary mounting points. Prior art sealing methods incorporate a solid secondary seal such as a piston ring. For any inter-shaft applications lacking stationary sealing members, inertia forces experienced by a solid secondary seal create high friction forces between the secondary seal and its supporting members, thereby preventing axial travel or at least resulting in undesirable wear.